Bracelet buckle



25,-1934. -E. PRESTINARI 1,985,836 V BRACELET BUCKLE Filed Sept. 21,1932 r "EH1?! 3/ 4 IN VEN TOR.

re vii/raw A TTORN E YS.

Patented 25,

UNITED STATES BRACELET nucxnn' Eugen Prestinari, Summit, N. 1., assignorto.

Gemex Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application September21,1932, Serial No. 634,115

8 Claims. (01. 24-71) This invention relates to a bracelet buckleextension device and has for one of its objects the provision of aconstruction which may be relatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture a and yet one which will house in a compact space and havean attractive appearance when worn in a bracelet such as is particularlyused for seeming a wrist watch in position. Y

Another object of the invention is the provision of an extension devicewhich may be adjusted when in folded position to contract the encirclingsize of the bracelet in which itis secured by simple pressure upon partsthereof tending to move the same to this contracted position.

A further object of the invention is the provi-- sion of a constructionwhich by certain other manipulations may be permitted to expand and beadjusted while on the wrist of the wearerto enlarge the encircling sizeof the bracelet by the operation of a controlling member for suchpurposes.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of constructio as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawlng:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an extension device in folded contractedposition.

Fig.2 is a similar view showing link member positioned in extend. :1,position.

, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing theparts in unfolded and extendedposition that the largest encircling length may behad for the braceletin'which it is connected.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of two of the sections in unfolded position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view thru the channel section and illustrating thesliding link member therein with one of itsteeth in connection with thecatch device in which it slides.

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view thru the device in folded position.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view member alone.

of the sliding link It is found desirable in the use of extensiondevices to provide one in which there is an ex-' panding action both byunfolding and by sliding the parts one on the other in a relation suchthat the slidable part is used for the last stages of more minuteadjustment after the device is folded into position on the wrist of thewearer, and in order that such a construction may be formed in .acompactmariner and one which will be comfortable upon the wrist, 1 haveprovided a plate which is slidable in one end section of the foldthesliding able construction which has formed integral therewith an armhaving ratchet teethpermitting the same to be slid in one direction andthen held in the position to which it is moved and yet one whereby theintegral toothed arm may be flexed to permit of sliding adjustment; andthe following is a detailed description of the present embodiment ofthis invention illustrating the preferred means by which theseadvantageous results may be accomplished: a

With reference to the drawing, the foldable sections are designatedgenerally 11 and 12 and are hinged together as at 14, thence hingedlyconnected as at 13 to a housing link to permit them to fall one upon theother within the housing link 10 which is formed generally channelshaped and has a top wall 15 and side walls 16. This section 11 is ofsuch a dimension as to permit it to be received within the channelsection 12 and the end upon which the pivot 13'is provided is T-shapedas at 21 to spacethe section 11 fromthe side walls 16 permitting theside walls of the section 12 to fit therebetween. One of the side walls16 is slotted asat 1'7, while both of the side walls are provided withrecesses on their inner surfaces 18 to receive the projections 19 on theside walls 20 of the section. 12 to hold the sections in foldedposition.

p The sliding adjustment is accomplished by the provision of a slidinglink member designated generally 22 which is fitted to slide. along thetop wall 15 of the housing link 10 and between this top wall 'andthefolded sections 11 and 12 when in a position to house within the housinglink 10. Sliding link 22 is of plate like formation being all in asubstantially single plane and is slotted as at 23 to provide aresilient arm 24 for the ratchet teeth 25 along one edge thereof and afinger piece 26 folded fromthe end of this am to extend outwardly thruthe slot 17 in the side wall 16.

A' pawl member 2'7 is provided on the housing link 10 by foldinginwardly a portion of the stock cut from the slot 17, which pawl engagesany selected one of the teeth 25 of the arm 24. 'I'hese teeth areinclinedsuch that upon pressure inwardly of the member 22, the arm willflex inwardly permitting the same to slide from one tooth to another andbe held against outward movement in the opposite direction by reason ofthe more abrupt shape of the teeth formed on this arm. "If, however, itis desired to move the member outwardly pressure is applied to thefinger piece 26 by moving the arm inwardly The movement of the slidinglink 22 is independent of the folded or unfolded position of sections 11and 12 and adjustment may be accomplished in either direction regardlessof whether the sections are housed within the housing link Iv orextended therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. Movement of the sliding link 22,however, is limited by reason of the finger piece engaging either of theends 29 or 30 of the slot 17 in the side wall and thus the parts areheld in the desired assembled relation without danger of beingaccidentally disengaged.

This buckle may be attached to a bracelet by securing the same theretothru the opening 31 in the sliding link 22 and thru the opening 32 in.the section 12, that suitable flexible connection may be had betweenthe parts.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bracelet extension buckle having a plurality of sections hingedtogether to fold one on the other, a section provided with a slot, aplate member slidable in said slotted section and cut out to form anintegral resilient arm along one side, notches on said arm, a detent onsaid section folded from the edge of said slot to be engaged by theselected notch in said arm, and an integral finger piece on the end ofsaid resilient arm and extending outwardly thru said slot tocontrolsaid. resilient arm.

' 2. In a bracelet extension buckle, in combination, a housing linkmember having a top and right angle flanges forming longitudinal sidewalls, a sliding link slidable on and resting against the under side ofthe top of said housing link member and betweensaid side walls, thethickness of said sliding link being less than the height of said wallsto leave portions of the opposing surfaces of said side walls exposed,one of said side walls having a longitudinal slot formed therein, an armmember secured to said sliding link, a plurality of ratchet teeth formedalong one of said members, a pawl secured to the other of said membersand normally in engagement with said ratchet teeth, a fingerpiecesecured to said arm member and extending through said slot, a pluralityof link parts hingedly connected to each other, one of said link partsbeing hinged to one end of said housing link member, said link partsbeing shaped to fold into a nested position within said housing linkmember below said slid- 'ing link so that the edges of the link partwhich is furthest from said housing link member when said link parts areunfolded are in engagement with said exposed portions of said side wallsbelow said sliding link, whereby said teeth and said pawl may bedisengaged to allow free sliding movement of said sliding link incontracting or extending directions regardless of the position of saidlink parts with respect to said housing link member, and catch means onsaid last-mentioned edges and said exposed portions of said side wallsadapted to interengage when said link parts are insaid nested position.

3. In a bracelet extension buckle, in combination, a housing linkmember'having a top and right; angle flanges forming longitudinal sidewalls, a sliding link resting against the under side of the top of saidhousing link member and between said side walls, the thickness of saidsliding link being less than the height of said walls to leave portionsof the opposing surfaces of said side walls exposed, one of said sidewalls having a longitudinal slot formed therein, an arm member securedto said sliding link, a. plurality of ratchet teeth formed along one ofsaid members, a pawl secured to the other of said members in engagementwith said ratchet teeth, a fingerpiece secured to said arm member andextending through said slot, and a plurality of link parts hingedlyconnected to each other, one of said link parts being hinged to one endof said housing link member, said link parts being shaped to fold into anested position within said housing link member below said sliding link,the link part which is furthest from said housing link member when saidlink parts are unfolded having right angle flanges along itslongitudinal edges, the distance between the outer surfaces of saidflanges and the inner surfaces of said side wall being substantiallyequal so that said exposed portions of said side walls and said flangesare in engagement when said link parts are in said nested positionwhereby said teeth and said pawl may be disengaged to allow free slidingmovement of said sliding link in contracting or extendtending directionsregardless of the position of said link parts with respect to saidhousing link member.

4. In a bracelet extension buckle, in combination, a housing link memberhaving a top and right angle flanges forming longitudinal side walls, asliding link slidable on and resting against the under side of the topof said housing link member and between said side walls, the thicknessof said sliding link being less than the height of said walls to leaveportions of the opposing surfaces of said side walls exposed, one ofsaid side walls having a longitudinal slot formed therein, an arm membersecured to said sliding link, a plurality of ratchet teeth formed alongone of said members, a pawl secured to the other of said members andnormally in engagement with said ratchet teeth, a fingerpiece secured tosaid arm member and. extending through said slot, a plurality of linkparts hingedly connected to each other, one of said link parts' beinghinged to one end of said housing link member, said link parts beingshapedto fold into a nested position within said housing link memberbelow said sliding link, the distance-between the longitudinal edges ofthe link part which is furthest from said housing link member when saidlink parts are unfolded being substantially equal to the distancebetween said exposed surfaces of said side walls so that said edges andsaid exposed surfaces are in' engagement when said link parts are insaid nested position, whereby said teeth and said pawl member may bedisengaged to allow free sliding movement of said sliding link incontracting or extending directions regardless of the position of saidlink parts with respect to said housing link member.

5. In a bracelet extension buckle, in combination, a housing linkmember'having a top and right angle flanges forming longitudinal sidewalls, a sliding link slidable on and resting against,

the under side of the top of said, housing link member and between saidside walls, the thickness of said sliding'link being less than theheight of 1 1,aeo,sso a plurality ol ratchetteeth formed along at.- of."saidmembers, apawlsecured tothe other of *giaralityotlinkpartshingedlyconnectedtoeachoneofsaidlinkpartsbeinghinged-to of said-housing linkmember, said linkparts beingshaped to-fold into a nested position said housing linkmember below said slidthe distance between the longitudinal the linkpart which -is furthest from said housim link memberwhen said link partsarelmi'oldedbeingsubstantiallyequaltothedistancehetweensaidexposedsuriacesoisaldside wallssothatsaidedgesand said exposedsurin mgagement whensaidlink parts, are in said nested position, whereby said teeth and saidpawl membermay be disengaged to sliding movement of said sliding link incontracting or extending directions regardless--ofthepositionotsaidlinkpartswithrespectto saidhominglinkmember. 6. In abracelet extension bucklehaving a pinrality of link pnrls hingedtogether to fold. one on the'other, in combination, a housing memberhaving top andlongitudinal walls along its sides,

,a sliding link member slidableon and resting .upon the under side ofthe top of said housing memberbetween saidwalls'and shaped to slide intoextended and contracted pomtions with m 'spect to member, a plurality ofratchet teeth formed along a portion of one of catch portion on theother of said members and positioned-to engage saidteethoneofsaidportionsbeingmovablein lateraldirecfions with respect tothe buckle and having a section facing the-inside face or one of saidwalls, theextremities of said teeth and said catch portiiir beingdisposed between said'section and said inside face of saidlast-mentioned willv so that movement of said movable portion away fromsaid last-mentioned wall disengages said teeth and said catch portion,and a fingerpiece connected to said movable portion and laterallythrough said last-mentioned wallto a point spaced from theexterior ofsaid lastementioned wall whereby pressure upon said flngerpieoe dismagessaid teeth and said catch to allow free'sliding movement of said slidinglink in extending and contracting directions.. 4

7'; In a bracelet extension buckle having a plurality or link partshinged together ,tofold one on theother, in combination, a housingmember having top and longitudinal walls along its sides,

aslidinglinkmemberslidableon-andrestingupontheunrksideorthetopofsaidhousing .memberbetweensaidwallsandshanedtoslide intoextmdedandcontraetedpositionswithre-v 3 spect to saidhousing a plurality of Iratchet teeth formed along a portion of one ofsaidmembers, a catch portion on the other of said members and positionedto ensure said teeth, said teeth and said catch portion being shaped topermit movement of said sliding link member in a contracting directionand prevent movement thereof in an extending direction when said teethand said catch portion are in engagement, one of said portions beingmovable in lateral directions. with respect to the buckle and having asection facing the inside'face of one of said walls, the extremities ofsaid teeth and said catch portion being disposed between said sec-.

tion and said inside face of said last-mentioned wall so that movementof said movable portion 'away from said last-'mentionedwall disengagessaid teeth and saidcatch portion, and a fingerpiece connected to saidmovable portion and ex- ;tending laterally through said last-mentionedwall to a point spaced from the exterior of said last-mentionedwallwhereby pressure upon said flngerpiece disengages said teeth and saidcatch her, the thicknessofsaidhousinglinkmember being less thantheheight of said; side walls to leave portions of the opposing surfacesof said side walls'exposed, a plurality of ratchet teeth formed along aportion of one of said members and extendingin a plane substantiallyparallel to said top, a catch portion" on the other of said memberspositioned to engage said teeth, of said portions being movable inlateral directions with respecttothetopoi said housinglinkmember,apluralityv or link parts hingedly connected to each other, one of saidlink parts being hinged to one end of said housing link member, saidlink parts being shaped-to fold into a nested position within saidhousing link member so that the edges of the link part which isiiu'thest from said housing link member when said link parts areunfolded are in engagement with said exposed surfaces of said sidewalls, said last-mentioned link part forming a-bottom for saidhouslnglink member sothatsaidteethandsaidcatchportionareenclosed bysaidtop of said-housing link member.

said side walls and said'last mentloned link part,

'catch'means disposed between the edges of said last-mentioned link partand said side walls, and a flngel'pieoe connectedlto said movableportion and extending through one oisaid side walls.

menu murmur.

